Chapter 1 Master Yan

On the quiet sidewalk, a bicycle slowly rolled by.  

The man riding it was in the prime of his life—someone who should have been full of vigor, pedaling with the speed of Wind and Fire Wheels. Yet his face was tense, and his pace was sluggish. Despite his caution, his tire suddenly skidded, the handlebars jerked, and he crashed into a nearby flower bed—  

*Bang! Crash—*  

A series of thuds followed. The bike toppled, and the man was flung several meters away, half the bicycle pinning his leg while the wheels spun uselessly. His pained groans painted a pitiful scene. Worse yet, it was a weekday afternoon, and the streets were nearly empty—no one came to help. He lay there for several minutes before barely managing to twitch his fingers.  

·  

Zhou Yimin ached all over as he struggled to push himself up, cursing under his breath. He didn’t even bother righting the bike, just limped toward the flower bed and slumped onto its edge. At that moment, the tension on his face melted away, replaced by sheer frustration and despair. His entire aura… if this were a comic, the background around him would visibly darken.  

Just as he was stewing in his misery, a pale hand extended from his lower right. Soft and delicate, its palm cradled a tiny, colorful stone no bigger than a fingernail, presenting it right under his nose.  

Zhou Yimin froze.  

What was this? A rock? Wait—no. The texture, the luster… was this jade? He couldn’t identify the type, but it was clearly no ordinary trinket. Who would just casually hand something like this over?  

His thoughts raced as he turned toward the hand—only to suck in a sharp breath the next second.  

*”—Hiss!”*  

He’d had a proper education, considered himself a cultured man, yet when he saw the face before him, his mind went blank. No adjectives came to mind—just one phrase, flashing like a neon sign:  

*As if competing with peach blossoms in spring radiance.*  

Those picturesque brows and eyes, that skin so fair it seemed to glow… He stumbled over his words. In all his middle-aged years, he’d never seen anyone so breathtaking.  

Right now, that beautiful face wore a faintly worried expression, brows slightly furrowed. Clear, innocent eyes met his, so pure they made his head spin.  

This kid… couldn’t be older than twenty, could he?  

Zhou Yimin, predictably, was dazed. “This is—?”  

The pretty youth nudged the stone closer with his pale hand, voice slightly muffled. “This is for you.”  

Zhou Yimin: *”…For me?”*  

The youth said, “It can ward off evil. Wear it, and you won’t have bad luck anymore.”  

His voice was clearer now—pleasant, like the clearest mountain spring—but his tone was odd, halting, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.  

Yet once Zhou Yimin processed the words, all thoughts of beauty and charm vanished. A chill crawled up his spine, and in a daze, he heard himself reply, “N-no thanks…”  

The youth sighed softly, his fair face clouded with sorrow—so heart-wrenching it made others want to sigh with him.  

“But if you don’t take this… you’re finished.”  

Zhou Yimin broke out in a cold sweat.  

·

City B was the capital of the nation, where housing prices were exorbitantly high. In slightly livelier areas, even a modest apartment would cost no less than twenty to thirty thousand per square meter. Under such circumstances, anyone who could afford to buy a property outright—even just a three-bedroom unit in an ordinary residential building—was certainly not lacking in financial means.

Zhou Yimin led the strikingly handsome young man into the elevator and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor.

The young man ran his fingers lightly along the elevator’s interior wall, casting a casual glance around before speaking in a gentle tone, “There aren’t many people here.”

Zhou Yimin had been particularly sensitive lately, and upon hearing this, his mind immediately jumped to conclusions. He quickly scanned the elevator, his teeth beginning to chatter involuntarily.

“T-there’s just the two of us here… right?”

The young man replied leisurely, “There’s also a little girl. Look, she’s bouncing her ball so skillfully.” He raised his hand as if ruffling something in the empty space beside his waist, his voice soft and tender. “Be a good girl, sweetheart. Uncle here is easily frightened, so you can’t play with him. How about big brother plays with you later? Good children are the most adorable.”

Zhou Yimin hadn’t seen anything at first, merely feeling a vague unease from his own imagination. But after the young man’s few words, he began to hallucinate—as if there really was a little girl bouncing a ball in the elevator, one thump after another, frighteningly close… His face instantly paled.

An eerie chill seemed to linger in the air, freezing Zhou Yimin in terror. Just then, a sound from the elevator shattered the unsettling silence.

“Ding—”

The doors slid open.

Zhou Yimin’s heart raced as he stumbled out in a clumsy yet frantic rush.

The young man, however, stepped out at a leisurely pace. Before leaving, he even turned back to smile and wave at a certain corner inside the elevator.

That smile was like a mountain peach in full bloom—radiant, dazzling, breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhou Yimin thought he heard something too—a tiny, childish voice sweetly calling out, “Bye-bye, big brother!” He couldn’t help but whirl around, only to snap his head back immediately as if startled.

Curiosity killed the cat!!

The next second, the elevator doors closed.

Zhou Yimin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with trembling hands, his voice equally shaky. “L-little Master, in the future… p-please don’t tell me about things like this.”

The young man nodded mildly, his demeanor still gentle as he replied, “Alright.”

·

Unlocking the door with his key, Zhou Yimin led the way inside and asked, “Little Master, what would you like to drink? I have plenty of beverages—most of what’s available on the market…”

The young man followed him in, his voice unhurried. “I’m not sure. Why don’t you recommend something?”

After a moment’s thought, Zhou Yimin handed him an ice-cold can of cola. “Most young people these days drink cola. How does that sound, Little Master?”

Accepting the can, the young man took a curious sip. The taste was strange, but the fizzy bubbles bursting in his mouth were oddly amusing, prompting him to take several more gulps.

Encouraged by his companion’s amiable demeanor, Zhou Yimin grew bolder. “I don’t believe I’ve caught your name yet?”

The young man cradled the cola can and beamed—a smile as bright as sunlight.

“My name is Yan Zhen.”

·

Zhou Yimin sat on the sofa, watching anxiously as the young man who called himself Yan Zhen sipped his cola. He was eager to ask his questions but afraid of angering the master. He waited until the last drop was gone before cautiously speaking, “M-Master Yan, you… you said earlier that if I didn’t take that jade, I’d be done for. What did you mean?” He paused, “Is it what I think? Is there… something unclean around me?”

Yan Zhen let out a small burp, looking slightly embarrassed as he placed the empty bottle on the coffee table.

“Exactly what you think,” he said slowly. “You’ve been haunted by an unlucky ghost.”

Zhou Yimin squeezed his eyes shut, his face flushing red as his throat worked nervously. His words came out faster, “An unlucky ghost? You mean all my recent misfortunes are because I’m haunted by one, and it’ll stick with me till I die?” The more he spoke, the angrier he became. “I’ve never done anything wrong in my life! Why would an unlucky ghost target me? What did I ever do to deserve this?!”

Yan Zhen didn’t quite understand why this male human had suddenly become so agitated. Scratching his cheek with a slender finger, he explained, “That unlucky ghost got lost.”

Zhou Yimin’s eyes widened.

Yan Zhen continued, “When an unlucky ghost’s eyes are covered, it wanders onto people.”

A chill ran down Zhou Yimin’s spine, and he shot to his feet.

“So someone set me up?” he cried, both horrified and furious. “Who would do this to me? Master Yan, you have to help me! I’ve never wronged anyone—I don’t deserve this!”

Yan Zhen lowered his gaze, long lashes fluttering slightly. His tone remained calm as he said, “It’s fine. Just wear this jade close to your body, and the unlucky ghost won’t be able to reach you. After it tries and fails a few times, the frustration will make it open its eyes on its own.”

Zhou Yimin grew even more urgent. “Open its eyes? Then what? Will I be free after that?”

Yan Zhen nodded. “Yes.”

Zhou Yimin exhaled deeply in relief, looking at Yan Zhen with deep gratitude. “I really owe you this time, Master Yan. I don’t even know how to repay you. How much should I pay for your help? And besides that, if there’s anything I, Zhou Yimin, can do for you, just say the word. I’m a man of my word—no hesitation, no backing out.”

Yan Zhen thought for a moment before saying, “Then help me get… an ID.” He tilted his head slightly with a smile. “I just came down from the mountains and don’t have one. I hear it’s important—without it, you can’t go anywhere.”

Zhou Yimin was taken aback but quickly agreed, “No problem! Give me a few days, and I’ll get you a real ID. I won’t lie to you—it’ll be genuine. Sure, there are plenty of fake IDs floating around, and they might work in a pinch, but for real convenience, you need the real deal. I know someone who can pull some strings. When it’s time to process it, I’ll just need you to come with me for a photo.”

Yan Zhen blinked and agreed.

Zhou Yimin relaxed and said, “Then it’s settled.”

Yan Zhen smiled faintly. “Mm.”

Next, Zhou Yimin enthusiastically invited Yan Zhen to stay in the most comfortable guest room in his house—not for any other reason but for insurance. Although Master Yan claimed that the tiny Five-colored Jade Stone could ward off evil, he hadn’t actually seen it in action yet, had he? What if something went wrong? So having Master Yan personally present was still better.  

Yan Zhen didn’t hesitate much and stayed.  

“Then I’ll go rest. Don’t knock on the door unless it’s necessary.”  

Zhou Yimin quickly assured him, “Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you!”  

Yan Zhen entered the room and closed the door.  

Watching Master Yan’s figure disappear behind the door, Zhou Yimin let out a sigh and collapsed onto the sofa, utterly drained. He zoned out for a while before taking out the small Five-colored Jade Stone, pinching it between his fingers, and examining it carefully under the light—its radiance shimmered brilliantly, unlike anything ordinary.  

The quality of this jade was truly exceptional, so refined that only the finest mutton-fat white jade could barely compare. He roughly knew that in today’s jade market, top-tier mutton-fat white jade could fetch three to four hundred thousand per gram. This jade was only at a disadvantage because its reputation hadn’t been hyped yet, but in the eyes of connoisseurs, it was worth at least three hundred thousand per gram. Even though he only had a small piece, its total value had to be at least two million, not to mention it was also an evil-warding artifact… Precious, far too precious. It absolutely couldn’t be lost.  

Zhou Yimin sat up, found some thin cord, and wove a small pouch. He stuffed the Five-colored Jade Stone inside, tied it securely around his neck, and knotted it tightly. He mentally calculated that once this matter was resolved, he’d have to pay Master Yan at least three million for his services—ouch! That hurt! But even though it stung, the man had kindly saved his life—he couldn’t let him foot the bill, could he? Besides, he also had to handle the ID matter properly. If the master had any other needs, he’d have to put in 120% effort to fulfill them.  

Talented people were always in demand. A golden thigh this thick—Zhou Yimin, a mere nobody, would be a fool not to cling to it tightly! If nothing else, for the sake of his future safety, he had to give it his all!